My mother, Shireen Jamshed Wania, was born 28th November 1937 in Karachi Pakistan and died on 15th May 2021 in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.
She was married for 31 years to a man who worshipped the ground she walked upon. From their home in Karachi they travelled the world together, London being the constant, visiting Kyoto, Tokyo, New Zealand and Australia, the remote Fiji Islands, Africa, and Asia. In Europe they visited almost every country. Trips were made to Hong Kong, India, Jakarta, Iran and Oman and umpteen more — including Canada and the United States, where they even visited Spokane and Amarillo.
Baker extraordinaire, her passion of being a gracious hostess simply transitioned to a very successful home business, baking professionally for friends in Karachi. Her reputation of serving only the finest at her much loved dinner parties gave her the advantage that turned her business into an overnight success story. From simple cookies and brownies, to the most complicated layered terrines like the Fantasia (alcoholic cherry and chocolate mousses covered in chocolate ganache), her creations were so popular her clients flew out her desserts to Islamabad and Lahore on a regular basis.
Perfection ran through her blood, and there was little she let anyone help her with. She suffered from insomnia and sometimes worked 15 to 18 hour days well into the wee hours. A self-confessed chocoholic, her range of chocolate desserts were unmatched. Imported French chocolate was her favorite ingredient and she made a wide range of chocolate cakes. She is still remembered for the best classic cheesecake with and without toppings. Her self-taught decorations were neat and tidy – proudly telling they were homemade and not store bought.
Here I share her Chocolate Dream Cake which all her grandchildren loved and I hope you will too.
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